Marley's Motive
by Restlessdreamsfromsilenthill
Summary: A little one shot about Jacob Marley he day he visits scrooge just a little way i imagine the events leading to a Christmas carol went


Marley's Motive

Seven years, Seven long excruciatingly exhausting years tomorrow. Tomorrow is the seventh anniversary of my passing, and the beginning of my punishment. The words echo in my head constantly, ""It is required of every man that the spirit within him should walk abroad among his fellowmen, and travel far and wide; and if that spirit goes not forth in life, it is condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world, and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared on earth, and turned to happiness!" Ti's always wringing in my head, the reasoning for my chains. The retribution for avarice.

I have walked for seven years constantly moving, but from sheer habits of my squandered life, or by my own lack of resolve to leave, I remained in proximity of my town. Here I was king, I made people bow and beg me for mercy, none was ever given. I have often sat with my partner and only friend, Ebeneezer and wallowed in my silent suffering as my friend becomes a mirror of my own misguided and corrupted cold life. Maybe it's that very emotional pain that I know now I deserve in spades is why I never leave this city.

My friend Scrooge, was once a warm fellow, with a mind as sharp as a tack, and together we both made a fortune, but knowing, in death, what I should have known in life I wish I could reach him and get him on the path of redemption. The other spirits who have seen me watch my old friend chastise him. "He might as well enjoy his life his way," They say, then cackle, "Cause his chains will outweigh all of ours conjoined."

I never pay them much attention, my old friend could be saved, and I wish I could help him, but I have sat besides him by his fire many nights understanding that as much as I scream and moan for his attention I will only waste more energy in a vain attempt to help. The most cruel part of this penance is I know how to help, but with mortals hearts closed off to the idea of specters they will never open their eyes and ears to us or our legion of suffering ghosts.

My chains weigh especially hard this time of year. With it being the season of charity and compassion, two things I always shut out of my own life, the despair usually makes the required treks more unbearable. I gave up begging for forgiveness and deliverance, within my first year I saw first hand how even simple acts of kindness and tenderness can alter lives for the best, and how my cruel acts of greed for vain lusts of power tormented the needy. From which my own soul felt as if it would explode from the sorrow I created, I have accepted my punishment and wander with solemn reverence, knowing I deserve this.

The only sounds I could hear this night were my own chains and they created their usual scraping sounds, and the toll of someones clock signaling 'twas midnight. Seven years ago today I died in my sleep to that very chime. Suddenly I was no longer in town or anywhere I could place. All I felt was warmth, and could only see white. The white as pure as snow, but somehow warm and inviting.

"Step forth my child and come speak with me." a voice rang out all around me as loud as thunder, but as inviting as soothing as ones favorite blanket as a child on a cold November night.

No words could escape my lips, I was in his presence, and anything I would say could only sound foolish I thought to myself. Walking forward with a tremble forced the words out of my mouth. "May I ask what you need of me."

He spoke once again, this voice was a powerful presence, he was all around me, with a force so amazing I could barely stand upon my own feet. "My child, your friend Ebeneezer Scrooge, Do you feel he has it in himself to change?"

"Y-yes he does, from my own penance I've learned that as long as man has breath in him he has the power to change his heart." I replied as formally as I could.

"Your time as a specter has made you wiser since your departure, so would you say he has earned the right to be shown he must change. I know as well as you do he is destined to the same horrible fate you find yourself bound to." the voice responded in kind.

"I wish I could say yes, lord." I hung my head. "Every man must pay his due for his actions, and he is no greater man then to be spared the fate of his actions."

"True, but you said it yourself as long as man has breath in his lungs he has the power to change. Do you take those words back?"

"N-no, no! I want him to change I want my friend to avoid this fate, he was once kind and warm, I would do anything you ask to show you he can change and should you allow me to warn him that he would!"

"He truly is undeserving of redemption, so close to his own fatal evening, however, I have use for him. A young boy is going to die. The father has spent more nights on his knees in church, and in his own home begging for my intervention. He is a kind man, one who works for your friend, and despite not having much, working for a tight-fisted miser, he still holds me, my son, and the spirit of kindness in his heart with such warmth and love it humbles me. I cannot just help him, or else man may become reliant, but I can work in my own special ways." The voice echoed around me. "You will act as messenger Jacob. You will have a short window to speak with your friend, and should you open his heart not only to spirits, but his own fate, he may receive visits from my three children of Christmas. Should you be successful he will be spared his bound fate and you might be forgiven for your own sins."

I fell to my knees with tears of happiness flowing over my cheeks, "Thank you lord," I began. But the presence turned harsh, the voice turned deep, and the white turned red and darker.

"But should you fail me Jacob, be aware not only will your friend suffer with you, his chains will be added to yours."

"That hardly seems fair." I regretted my words as soon as the slipped past my lips.

"You dare talk to me about fair!" The voice was louder and harsher, the warmth was now excruciating heat, and the warm colors replaced with menacing purple and blacks, "You who evicted orphanages, took advantage of grieving widows, and punished those who only ever asked for mercy from you, dare to lecture me about fairness?"

"No lord it was a slip of the tongue I apologize." I bowed pleading for forgiveness.

"Have you learned nothing from your time in chains?" The voice was almost normal, The whites had returned the heat turned down, but before where there was warmth there was only apathetic coldness.

"The man I was in life is gone, the man I was would have sneered and laughed and looked forward to another sharing my pain, but I want to help him avoid it. If it can be avoided I wouldn't wish this pain on anyone living or deceased." I said trembling still bowing. The warmth had come back and I looked up in the void.

"Then go. My children of Christmas, must see him tonight or all will be lost and Timothy Cratchet will die. You may not tell him of your own retribution for this act."

"May I ask why?"

"If he feels like your only after your own retribution the lessons will be cheapened and his heart may never really change." The voiced soothed to me. "Now go, and my child I do wish you luck in this task." then as quickly as I had arrived I was back in town. The sun was now rising over the rooftops the warmth making some loose snow fall off the roof. I took notice of where in town I was, and realized how far away from my friends house I was. It would be a day and a half of walking normally, but with renewed motivation and vigor I picked up my chains and commenced my still rather arduous march to Ebeneezer's home.

 **Read the book or watch one of the MANY MANY movies based on this book the muppets version is a good one I would recommend now back to the story.**

I did my best to open his heart with our visit. I cried at his own stubbornness, but I do feel like he was able to receive the visits his salvation required. If I could feel the cold this Christmas morning brought I'm certain I wouldn't be shaking half as bad from it, as I am from anticipation to see if Scrooge had decided to change his ways. Soon enough Scrooge burst out his window with the biggest grin I had seen on any man ever. And not much later watching him walk down the street with most sincere and kindest wishes of Christmas I ever heard, my own chains began to feel lighter.

This truly was all I wanted, to see my friend change and become a happier, kinder warmer man, and in the many years that followed that Christmas he become that and more. Alas, as we all must do, he found himself letting go of his own mortal coil. I stood there by his dying body and welcomed his own spirit to his new life. He was young in spirit and it showed, looking much like he did the day he met lovely Belle. His spirit had nary a chain to be found on him. My own spirit had lost all of it's chains and even lost the rag tied taught around my head.

We both spent of few more nights on earth that day as we were both wanting to see his funeral. It was a lovely affair friends had come out to say their goodbyes and family mourned his passing with such warmth I could see Ebeneezer tear up at the display. Wiping his tears away he looked on and saw Tim Cratchet, who could no longer be called tiny as he grew to be a fine young man, smiling at us. Not the corpse in the box, but it looked as if he were looking at our ethereal forms. Scrooge simply laughed and waved at the man, until he turned back to my friends former body. I grabbed him by the shoulder and we both walked, on light feet, to the paradise that awaited us for the rest of eternity.

 **The End.**

 **A.N. _ok so I have seen like four different versions of a Christmas carol this month alone, (Jim carrey, muppet, Patrick Stewart, and mickey mouse) and I always wondered how or why Jacob Marley got the ghosts of Christmas to visit him. Or why the ghosts would even want to, so the way I wanted to interpret this is to me Charles Dickens wrote this as a "God works in mysterious ways" Thing and this was actually gods way of answering bob cratchets prayers to save tiny tim, he seemed religious so it made sense to me that this is how it might have played out, I'm not religious, but I liked the idea so I wrote it down. How did I do?_**


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